Flour-bolt



N6 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. J. 'PAULKNER.

FLOUR BOLT.

Patented Jan N PETERS. Phnw-Lvlhogmphur. Washinglnn. n. C.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets$het 2;

J. J. FAULKNER FLOUR BOLT. No. 396,922. Patented Jan. 29; 1889.

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(No Model), 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. J. FAULKNER.

FLOUR BOLT.

No. 396,922. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

Unrrsn STATES ATENT trier).

JAMES JONES FAULKNER, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

FLOUR-BOLT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,922, dated January29, 1889.

Application filed September 1, 1886. Serial No. 212,375. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it 772mg concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES JONES FAULK- NER, of Jackson, in the countyof Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and. usefulImprovements in Flour-Bolts; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

M y invention relates to an improvement in The object is to provide abolt in which the flour shall be exposed to a great area ofbolting-cloth with a col'upa'ratively small amount of travel, and toprovide a compact and effective bolt in which the several movable partsshall tend to produce the best results in an economical manner.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the bolt in endelevation, the casing being removed from one end to show the interiorcmistruotion. Fig. 2 is a detached view of one form of elevator-belt.Figs. and 4 represent, respectively, the lower and upperelevator-shafts. Fig. 5 is a detached view of one of the brushes forclearing the boltingcloth. Fig. 6 is a detached. view of one of theyielding bearings, and Fig.7 is avertical 1ongitudinal section on theline of the shafts.

A represents the frame-work of the bolt, to which the casin g a issecured, forming a box having a general oblong shape. A lowerelevator-shaft, B, is journaled in cross-beams at the lower portions ofthe ends of the boX and centrally therein, and an upper elevator-shaft,

B, is journaled in the top cross-beams, and preferably in the samevertical plane with the shaft B.

The elevator-belt C consists of a leather or chain belt, preferably ofskeleton form, as shown, and provided with buckets or lifts c, securedat intervals thereto and extending the entire length of the bolt. Thesebuckets are preferably constructed of sheet metal and form pockets forthe reception of flour.

The shafts B and B are each provided with combined sprocket-wheels andpulleys 1), located at their ends, and the ends of the buckets or lifts0 project laterally beyond the edges of the belt sufficiently far toengage the notches between the teeth. on the sprocketwheels and therebyprevent the belt from slipping. The upper roller, B, is preferablyconstructed of wood, and has a frictional bearing-surface throughout itsentire length between the pulley portion l) of the combinedsprocket-wheels and pulleys l), in order that no open space is leftbetween the inner surfaces of the ascending and descending portions ofthe elevator-belt O for the escape of the flour unbolted. The lowershaft, B, is provided with a screw-flange, which serves to even theflour and prevent any bulking of the stock, so that it maybe readilyscooped up by the elevator-buckets. At intervals on this shaft. B, tocorrespond with the intermediate endless strips, 0 are frictionalpulleys o one or more in number, as desired, adapted to assist inrevolving the elevator-belt.

To further prevent the fallof the unbolted flour between the parts ofthe belt, and to keep it more constantl "11 contact with thebolting-cloth, tight partitions I) are inserted between the upper andlower shafts, B B, in close proximity to the inner faces of theelevator-belt. These partitions D are also valuable in preventing thebelt from wavering and producing an injurious jar.

To keep the elevator-belt in a constantlyextended position, the upperjournal-boxes, E, rest upon spring cusliiouspreferably formed bycoiled-wire springs which tend to elevate the boxes, and hence the uppershaft or roller, B.

The top of the casing over the upper shaft or roller is preferablyarched, as shown, and

a trough, F, semicircular in cross-section, is located beneath the lowershaft and forms a receptacle for the unbolted flour as it falls from thefeed-funnel f at the top of the casing.

The bolting-cloth G forms side walls from the plane of the lower to theplane of the up per elevator-shaft, and is placed as near the free edgesof the buckets or lifts as it can be and yet give the necessaryclearance for their passage.

Between the walls of bolting-cloth G and the side casing, a, is a narrowchamber on each side of the bolt, in which the clearingbrushes areadapted to travel. The clearingbrushes II extend the entire length ofthe bolting-cloth, and are secured to a pair of endless sprocket chainsor belts, I, which are mounted on sprocketewheels "L, secured on shaftsg at the bottom and top of the side chambers, and driven by suitablegear from a wheel on the lower elevator-shaft, B. Each upper shaft g ispreferably mounted in cushioned bearings, as shown, to keep the chainstaut. The brushes H ascend along the outside casings and descend inengagement with the bolting-cloth. Each top casing over the sidechambers in which the clearing-brushes work is preferably arched, asshown, and may be formed integral with the central arched section. Eachbrush is attached to a bar, it, which in turn is adj ustably secured toan intermediate bar, 7L carried on chains I by metallic straps it,provided with elongated slots 71 through which set-screws extend intothe bar 713, thereby rendering the brush adj ustable toward and awayfrom the bolting-cloth. The bolted flour falls from the bolting-clothinto the hopper K, the inclined sides of which guide it toward theseries of gates or valves L, located along its mouth.

Beneath the hopper K are the boxes M, in which the screw conveyersm arelocated. The partition-wall N between the two conveyers is situatedimmediately below the center of the hopper, and its top is preferablyina line where the inclined sides of the hopper-would meet if produced.The series of gates L have half-round grooves Zin their edges, and arehinged to a rod, M, extending along the top of the wall N, by means ofsheetmetal straps, which snugly embrace the opposite sides of the gateand loosely embrace the rod.

The free ends of the gates are adapted to swing and closely meet theedges of the hopper at the sides of its mouth, and are stopped flushwith the inside surface of the hopper by means of cleats or theirequivalent secured along the outside edges of the mouth. Thus byswinging the gates L to the right or left the bolted flour may be guidedinto the one or the other of the conveyer-boxes, as may be desired.Access to the gates is obtained through doors 0 at the tops of theconveyerboxes, which doors also enable those interested to sample theflour.

The flour as it is fed into the bolt is caught by the buckets or liftseither while falling or from the curved receptacle at the base, wherethe screw-flange on the shaft B levels the Surface of the flour inreadiness to be evenly dispensed in the passing buckets immediatelypreceding its being moved along the surface of the bolting-cloth both onthe ascending and descending sides of the elevator. The great area ofexposed bolting-cloth and the constant passage of the flour along itssurface serve to rapidly cause its passage through the bolting-cloth,while the latter is kept from clogging and with its meshes open by thepassage of the brushes.

The bolting-cloth may be set to diverge upwardly instead of upright, andwhen so set the upper shaft or roller, 13, is constructed of greaterdiameter than the pulleys on the lower shaft, thereby spreading theparts of the elevator-belt farther apart at the upper end to correspondwith the inclined surfaces of the bolting-cloth. Several sets ofbolting-cloth walls with their elevators and brushes may be set in thesame frame.

I am aware that it is old to construct a flonr-bolt with boxes at thebottom having hinged covers and screw conveyers therein, and also havinggates or valves located along the mouth of this box, and hence I make noclaim to this construction; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a flour-bolt, the combination, with a pair of oppositebolting-cloth walls and an endless belt or chain carrying a set ofbuckets or lifts, the end of which projects beyond the edges of the beltor chain, of upper and lower shafts on which the endless belt or chainis mounted, said shafts being provided with sprocket-wheels, the notchesof which. are adapted to receive the projecting ends of the buckets orlifts, substantially as set forth.

2. In a flour-bolt, the combination, with the pair of oppositebolting-cloth walls and the endless-belt flour-elevator, of the endlessbelts or chains and the adjustable clearing-brushes carried by thesebelts or chains and adapted to sweep the entire outer surface of thebolting-cloth in their descent, substantially as set forth.

3. In a flour-bolt, the combination, with the bolting-cloth walls andthe flour-elevator, of the endless chains or belts adapted to travel upand down on the outside of the boltingclothwalls, cross-bars attached tothe endless belts or chains, and brushes adjustably secured to one ofthe cross-bars, substantially as set forth.

4. In a. flour-bolt, the combination, with the endless .chains and barssecured thereto, of metallic strips secured to the bars, brushes, andset-screws for adjnstably securing the brushes to the metallic strips,substantially as set forth.

5. In a flour-bolt, the combination of the bolting-cloth walls and theflour-elevator mounted on upper and lower shafts, the lower shaft beingprovided with a screwflange adapted to prevent the uneven accumulationof unbolted flour, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JAMES JONES FAULKNER.

WVitnesses:

ELI A. CLEMENT, GEORGE POWELL.

